


Gifted

by kethni



Category: Veep (TV)
Genre: F/M, Making Up, request
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-28
Updated: 2018-12-28
Packaged: 2019-09-29 08:57:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,093
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17200490
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kethni/pseuds/kethni





	Gifted

 

Sue didn’t do “cutesy” gifts. Sue didn’t do “cutesy” anything.

She didn’t buy gifts for exes. She didn’t even stay in touch with her exes. She was honestly confused why anyone would. Stay in touch with exes? Participate in the ludicrous fiction that men and women could be friends?

They couldn’t. Men were good for one thing and one thing only. It certainly wasn’t their conversation or sparkling with.

However, as Sue looked at distinctly cutesy set of measuring cups, complete with cartoon cat faces, paws, and tails, she was struck by the aptness. The little set of four cups, in varying shades from white, through grey, to black, was too perfect a gift to be easily ignored.

She hadn’t seen him in… months. There had been times when he’d come to the West Wing, but she hadn’t been there at the time. She hadn’t been avoiding him. There had been no reason to avoid him. Their breakup had been brutal, not least because, unlike all of her previous breakups, she had to continue seeing him every day. Nonetheless, they had continued to work together with something resembling professionalism. Eventually they were able to talk without sniping. They had been, after all, the two most competent people in the entire West Wing. Working together had been impossible to avoid.

They weren’t friends. They had never been friends.  

Sue was not in the habit of buying impulsive gifts. She bought only gifts that were socially mandated and relationship appropriate. A set of porcelain measuring cups in the shape of cartoon cats were not an appropriate or mandated Christmas gift for a very much _ex_ -lover.

And yet.

She bought it, wrapped it carefully, and took it to Amy’s.

‘What the fuck am I supposed to do with this?’ Amy demanded.

‘Have Dan give it Kent,’ Sue said.

Amy gulped a coffee. ‘Give it him yourself.’

‘I’m too busy,’ Sue said dismissively.

Amy pushed a lock of hair behind her ear. ‘Excuse me, I’m not your fucking postal worker.’

Sue raised an eyebrow. ‘Of course not. I’m not asking you to deliver it. I’m asking Dan. He does work with Kent, doesn’t he?’

Amy scowled as she sat back in her chair. ‘I don’t. When am I supposed to see Dan?’

Sue sipped her coffee. ‘I understand that he impregnated you.’

‘And?’ Amy asked. ‘Do you seriously think that _Dan Egan_ has any interest in being a hands-on father? What kind of pathetic loser would I have to be to let him have anything to do with my kid?’

Sue sat back in her chair. ‘The kind of pathetic loser who would allow Dan Egan to impregnate her.’

Amy’s shoulders, never exactly relaxed, tensed. ‘We’d had a few drinks and –’

‘And for some reason you have long held a torch for Dan,’ Sue said. ‘Probably low self-esteem. You should do something about that.’

‘Jesus, never thought I’d ever hear you advocate therapy.’

Sue pursed her lips. ‘It’s not something _I_ would ever need,’ she said tartly. ‘ _I_ do not return romantically to a man who is not only incapable of fidelity but also of engaging in any relationship that is not purely designed to further his career.’

Amy folded her arms. ‘Says the woman hung up on a guy old enough to be her father that she dated for a few months like… years ago.’ She rolled her eyes. ‘Don’t gimmie that blank look. You bought Kent a fucking Christmas present! What’s that if not a sign of being hung up on someone?’

Sue drew herself up. ‘I am not hung up on him.’

‘You so are.’

‘I am not.’

Amy crossed her legs. ‘So, when I had to stop you from drunk dialling him…?’

Sue tensed her jaw. ‘That was a long time ago and –’

‘It was your last birthday,’ Amy interrupted. ‘First you got all pissy about your ex-husband, then you tried to punch at some guys at the bar, and then you wanted to call Kent.’

Sue raised an eyebrow. ‘If we’re going to cast aside our unspoken agreement that drunken conversations are privileged then I’m sure that the secret service would be very interested to know about your silverware.’

Amy lowered her voice and leaned forward. ‘Hey, keep your voice down!’

A muscle in Sue’s cheek twitched. ‘I don’t think anyone is listening,’ she said in a more conciliatory voice. She shifted in her seat. ‘And you poured a drink over the one with the combover.’

Amy put her hand on her belly. ‘Next time I’ll let you punch him.’

‘Next time I’ll help you find a silver salver,’ Sue said.

Amy picked up the gift bag. ‘What’s in here anyway?’

‘Measuring cups,’ Sue said.

Amy looked at her blankly.

‘For baking,’ she explained. ‘Kent likes to bake.’

‘That’s a shit present,’ Amy said. ‘He’s not gonna fuck you for _measuring cups_. Get some new lingerie and go booty call him.’

Sue gritted her teeth. ‘I have no interest in having sex with Kent.’

Amy handed her the bag. ‘I should’ve let you drunk-dial him.’

***

Sue was not a particular fan of cocktails; however, it would have been rude not to make _some_ use of the cocktail kit that her nephew had sent her for Christmas. She was sipping a “Raspberry Fizz” when she heard movement by her front door.

Damn. She glanced at the clock. It was far too late for casual callers. Not that anyone should be casually calling on Christmas evening. That would be unforgivably rude.

Sue stamped to the front door. If it was another pizza for next door then she was going to take the damn thing in and eat it herself. All of it!

‘Oh,’ she said. She considered twitching the dressing gown closed to cover the sliver of breasts on show. She didn’t.

‘Have I interrupted a burlesque show?’

Sue crossed her arms, pushing up her breasts. Although of course that was entirely coincidental. ‘Kent, why are you lurking outside my house?’

He sheepishly held up a parcel. ‘I thought I should return the favour and leave you a gift on _your_ doorstep.’

Sue pursed her lips. ‘I did ask Amy to give it to Dan for you,’ she said. ‘She made some ridiculous fuss about not seeing him very often and blah, blah, blah.’ She cocked her head. ‘You didn’t have to come rushing over here.’

He shrugged. ‘You rather put me on the back foot.’ He handed her the package.

‘Would you like to come in for a coffee?’ Sue asked unwillingly.

‘You hardly seem in the mood for it,’ he observed.

Sue opened the door more widely. ‘I was having a cocktail. Would you care to join me?’

She wasn’t sure what response she was hoping for. She did bite her lip when he took a moment to think about it.

‘Thank you,’ he said. ‘I would.’

***

‘I never thought of you as being someone who went all in on decorating,’ Kent said, looking around her living room. ‘This is… vibrant.’

Sue put the package on the coffee table. ‘I’m not going to be lectured on celebrating by a man whose wardrobe is eighty-five percent grey clothes.’

‘I haven’t decorated with the contents of my wardrobe,’ Kent pointed out. He looked around the room. ‘I don’t remember yours containing quite so much glitter.’

‘Perhaps you were looking at the wrong clothes,’ she retorted.

He raised his eyebrows and Sue reflected that perhaps she had left a little too much space for ambiguity.

‘Allow me a moment to et dressed and I’ll make us both a drink,’ she said.

‘Certainly.’

She didn’t run to the bedroom. She walked, carefully, deliberately, and with _speed_. She realised as she walked that, not only was she in her nightdress, she also wasn’t wearing any makeup.

It was beyond embarrassing.

She pulled on her underwear, a slightly faded top, and a pair of spotlessly clean sweatpants. It wouldn’t do to look like she was _trying_.

Nonetheless, she put on a lick of lipstick, a swipe of mascara, and a dab of rouge. Not for his benefit but for hers. She had a reputation to protect.

She glanced into the living room as she walked into the kitchen. Kent was over by the terrarium. He wasn’t tapping on the glass or reaching inside. He was just looking, and that was fine. He had cats, and that probably meant that he was more likely to be respectful. Dog owners could, in her experience, be grabby with pets.

She prepared a jug of martinis and carried them into the living room.

‘I hope you’re not harassing my turtle,’ she said severely.

‘Merely enjoying his company,’ he said. ‘What’s his name?’

Sue put down the drinks. ‘Why, are you going to ask him out for coffee?’

Kent waggled his hand. ‘Possibly, it’s early in the relationship.’

She allowed herself small smile. ‘It’s best not to rush into these things.’

They sat down on the sofa. Sue crossed her legs as he poured two drinks.

‘His name is Gamera,’ she said.

He looked thoughtful. ‘He seems a little small for a kaiju.’

Sue picked up the package. ‘He’s still a baby.’

‘Ah.’

Sue untied the bow and unwrapped the thick, creamy coloured paper. Inside was a leather folder. It opened out to an organiser with a plethora of pockets and zippers.

‘I know how important it is to you to be organised,’ Kent said. A little colour rose in his cheeks. ‘Also, I was a somewhat pressed for time.’

Sue sipped her drink. ‘I apologise for inconveniencing you,’ she said tartly.

Kent sat back. ‘I loved the measuring cups.’

‘I thought you would,’ she said smugly. ‘I saw them, and I knew.’

He crossed his legs and straightened his jeans. ‘I wasn’t expecting anything. You didn’t buy me any gifts when we were dating.’

She waved her hand. ‘We barely saw each other more than a handful of times. It was hardly dating and there was no call for gifts.’

Kent cocked his head. ‘I have very fond memories of our relationship.’

‘You’re a romantic,’ she said, rolling her eyes.

‘That’s not a very original observation,’ he said.

Sue tucked her feet underneath her. ‘You’re not very original.’

‘Ouch,’ he said mildly. He looked around the room. ‘I texted you. When you and Sean… I thought you might need to talk to someone.’

Sue looked at him over the rim of her glass. ‘Out of the goodness of your heart.’

He licked his lips. ‘You were the one who said men and women couldn’t be friends.’

‘They can’t,’ she said firmly.

He shrugged. ‘Then why would you buy me… anything?’

Sue shifted position. ‘There wasn’t an ulterior motive. I saw them, and I thought of you. I suppose you must have been on my mind.’

She half-expected him to smirk but instead he looked thoughtful. He was, she realised, trying to think if there was any reason for her to be thinking about him. He was probably going to start talking about people or events they might have in common.

‘Would you be offended if I said that I hope that I was?’ he asked. ‘If I said that I liked the idea of being on your mind?’

Sue blinked. She wasn’t used to him being… what? She had seen his attempts at flirtation when he had first become interested in her romantically. They had been _painfully_ awkward.

‘No,’ she said slowly. ‘I wouldn’t be offended that you liked spurring my passing interest.’

He smiled slightly. ‘Not that passing,’ he said.

‘Oh, it was.’ She licked her lips. ‘Minutes at most. Seconds possibly.’

Kent rubbed his shin. ‘Seconds?’

‘Indeed.’

‘To see something that reminded you of me, buy it, ask Amy to pass it to Dan, and finally bring it to my door yourself?’ He cocked his head. ‘And Sue, you are by no means an impulsive woman.’

She raised her eyebrows. ‘I don’t know _what_ kind of woman you think I am.’  She didn’t recognise her own tone. She didn’t know why she’d bought the cups any more than he did.

Less, perhaps.

Kent finished his drink. ‘I wonder what kind of man you think I am.’

‘I don’t even know if you’re a single man,’ she said sweetly.

‘A sadly enduring state of affairs which I have struggled to amend,’ he said, pouting.

Sue was quiet for a few seconds. ‘Perhaps we should continue this discussion somewhere more comfortable,’ she suggested.

‘I’d like that,’ he said quietly.

The End


End file.
